Justin Timberlake to produce MTV reality show

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Youth-oriented cable television
network MTV said on Friday it will air a new reality game show
called "The Phone" to be executive-produced by pop star Justin
Timberlake.

The series, which is based on a Dutch reality show format,
begins each episode with two hidden cell phones ringing at
opposite ends of a major city.

Contestants who answer the phones will have five seconds to
decide if they want to play along for a cash prize, and a guide
on the other end of the line then gives contestants a mission
to complete before time runs out.

As they race through the city on their adventure, a
helicopter tracks their every move. MTV described the show as a
wild and cinematic ride reminiscent of such films as "The
Bourne Identity" and "The Game."

"Genre-busting and reinvention is at the core of what we
do, and 'The Phone' does just that," Tony Disanto, MTV
executive vice president of programming and series development,
said in a statement.

"Each week will be an action-packed mini-movie," he said.

The show, which will be produced by reality specialist
FremantleMedia North America, will begin airing in the United
States this coming fall, though no specific launch date was
disclosed. Timberlake will act as an executive producer.

Timberlake rose to fame with the 1990s boy ban 'N Sync, and
his solo career took off in recent years as he has scored such
hits as "SexyBack."